Healthy Waters Initative
Whether it is from the local creek, a faucet, or flowing down the Hudson River, all water is affected by what we do on the land. The Environmental Cooperative is working to connect people to the water around them. Bringing people to our local creeks, letting them get their feet wet, and showing them what lies below the water’s“Whether it is from the local creek, a faucet, or flowing down the Hudson River, all water is affected by what we do on the land. The Environmental Cooperative is working to connect people to the water around them. We support local community groups and regional organizations that work to protect our waterways and educate young and old about the importance of clean water.
Photo: Ellie Opdahl
Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) mimics natural processes to reduce runoff from impervious surfaces that don’t absorb water, such as parking lots and roads. Examples of GSI include rain gardens, bioswales, porous pavement, riparian buffers, and tree canopies. The Environmental Cooperative works closely with Vassar’s Sustainability office to better include GSI into Vassar’s renovations and new construction projects.
Inventory and guidelines for stormwater management at Vassar College can be found here.
GSI pilot project plans for the Vassar Barns can be found here.
This project has been funded in part by a grant from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund through the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Watershed Education
The Environmental Cooperative works with local partners to educate students and local community members about the watersheds and their streams in Dutchess County.
